Michigan State and Louisville both were given No. 4 seeds in the NCAA tournament but are favorites to win their regions. / USA TODAY Sports

by Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports

by Scott Gleeson, USA TODAY Sports

In a year of parity among the best college basketball teams, it seems as though a No. 1 seed doesn't warrant favoritism.

That's the case for top seeds Virginia and Wichita State. Both squads were rewarded by the selection committee. but betting odds will tell you their likelihood to reach the Final Four isn't high. Meanwhile, many analysts consider No. 4 seeds Michigan State the East Region favorite and Louisville the Midwest Region favorite. Even President Obama picked the Spartans.

Much of the logic is based on skepticism of these two particular No. 1s.

The Cavaliers nabbed the final No. 1 seed but aren't a tournament regular, having missed the NCAA field last season. And despite an ACC regular-season and tournament title, coach Tony Bennett's slow-tempo offense and tough man-to-man defense are based on beating teams by grinding it out - meaning UVa won't be putting on an offensive spectacle.

And Wichita State, of course, has been criticized for playing in a mid-major league and becoming 34-0 with a weak strength of schedule.

Then factor in the fact that the Spartans and Cardinals are as hot as any teams in the country. Michigan State, riddled by injuries all season, has a championship team on paper. A Big Ten Conference Tournament title run signals that the chemistry coming together at the right time for Tom Izzo's group. Louisville, the defending national champion, failed to pick up a marquee win in non-conference play and never quite jumped into the national contender discussion in December-February. But the Cardinals put things together to win a share of the American Athletic Conference regular season before winning the AAC tourney title in a stretch in which they obliterate Rutgers by 61 points. Yes, 61.

Now, the NCAA tournament is all about matchups. So here's a look at what it will take for the outcome that has almost become a formality:

Michigan State's path to the title game

Second round: The Spartans start by facing a deceivingly tough Delaware. Expect a double-digit win.

Third round: Next up could either be defensively-sound Cincinnati or upset-favorite Harvard. An individual matchup between Gary Harris and Cincy's Sean Kilpatrick would be enticing, and a clash with the Bearcats could go down to the wire.

Sweet 16: Assuming top-seeded Virginia doesn't falter, this will be the test everyone's waiting for. Can Michigan State avoid falling prey to Virginia's tempo-control style? The Cavaliers, led by Malcolm Brogdon and Joe Harris, practice patience in the slow-paced offense. How MSU reacts to the Cavaliers' turnover-inducing defense will be the difference maker.

Elite Eight: Barring any surprise upsets (which are completely possible and almost likely), this will be Iowa State or Villanova. If it's the Cyclones, stopping Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane could be challenging. If it's Villanova, expect Jay Wright's group to use its dribble-drive offense to frustrate the Spartans.

Final Four: Hypothetically, this should be Florida. It could be Kansas, but for argument's sake let's say it's the favored Gators. One area MSU where is better than Florida? Getting a bucket down the stretch. As good as Casey Prather and Scottie Wilbekin are, they don't have the same type of clutch gene that Harris and Keith Appling have. If this is a Final Four matchup, though, it'll be as good as a title game given both teams' veterans.

Louisville's path to the title game

Second round: Coach Rick Pitino doesn't like his second-round matchup one bit, and that's because it's against protege Steve Masiello, who runs a Louisville-esque system at Manhattan. Despite the reunion, this should be a double-digit win for Louisville.

Third round: This could either be against veteran-laden Saint Louis or surging North Carolina State riding the momentum of their NCAA tournament inclusion and a subsequent First Four victory. N.C. State, a team that beat Syracuse, could make it close if T.J. Warren puts on a T.J. Warren-type performance.

Sweet 16: Ah, the big one. Louisville would face either rival Kentucky or would-be undefeated Wichita State. If it's the Wildcats, a neutral floor would benefit because the Cardinals lost to the Wildcats earlier in the season. If it's the Shockers, well, refer to last year's Final Four showdown to get a taste of how intense this defensive war could be. Wichita State's much better than last year in all areas. Louisville might not be as great overall, but there's more offensive life and that could be the difference.

Elite Eight: It'll either be Duke or Michigan. Both teams can get hot offensively. Real hot. So this will be where Louisville's defense comes in to trump any Jabari Parker or Nik Stauskas breakout.

Final Four: Arizona is the top seed from the West Region, and Sean Miller's savvy team would make for a major challenge. But there's also a chance it could be defensively stout Wisconsin or Doug McDermott-led Creighton. This is where Russ Smith will have to stop his new facilitating role and tell Pitino and his teammates to give him the rock and let him transform back into Russdiculous.

ON DECK: A look at Thursday's busy game slate.

12:15 (11) Dayton vs. (6) Ohio State, CBS (Buffalo)

12:40 (15) American vs. (2) Wisconsin, truTV (Milwaukee)

1:40 (9) Pittsburgh vs. (8) Colorado, TBS (Orlando)

2:10 (12) Harvard vs. (5) Cincinnati, TNT (Spokane, Wash.)

2:45 (14) Western Michigan vs. (3) Syracuse, CBS (Buffalo)

3:10 (10) Brigham Young vs. (7) Oregon, truTV (Milwaukee)

4:10 (16) Albany vs. (1) Florida, TBS (Orlando)

4:40 (13) Delaware vs. (4) Michigan State, TNT (Spokane)

6:55 (10) Saint Joseph's vs. (7) Connecticut, TBS (Buffalo)

7:10 (15) Wofford vs. (2) Michigan, CBS (Milwaukee)

7:20 (12) North Carolina State vs. (5) Saint Louis, TNT (Orlando)

7:27 (12) North Dakota State vs. (5) Oklahoma, truTV (Spokane)

9:25 (15) Milwaukee vs. (2) Villanova, TBS (Buffalo)

9:40 (10) Arizona State vs. (7) Texas, CBS (Milwaukee)

9:50 (13) Manhattan vs. (4) Louisville, TNT (Orlando)

9:57 (13) New Mexico State vs. (4) San Diego State, truTV (Spokane)

Scott Gleeson, a national college basketball writer/digital producer for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.